1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical string-instrument.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the so-called electrical guitar has widely been used as an electrical string-instrument. The electrical guitar has six strings and a support member having a major surface which includes a string receiving surface and on which the strings are stretched in substantially the same plane in parallel relation to one another and in opposing relation to the string receiving surface. On the string receiving surface of the support member, a plurality of frets which extend substantially at right angles to the strings, are sequentially provided in the direction of extension of the strings. Further, in the area other than the string receiving surface in the area opposite to the strings, there are provided electromechanical transducer means for converting mechanical vibrations of the strings into corresponding electrical signals.
When playing the guitar, the player plucks a desired one or more of the strings while pressing them against the string receiving surface with his fingers or leaving the strings in the so-called open-string state. A sound signal which is obtained from the electromechanical transducer means when picking the guitar without pressing the string against the string receiving surface, is called an open-string sound signal. In the case of pressing the string against the string receiving surface with a finger, the sound signal derived from the electromechanical transducer means has a higher frequency than the abovesaid open-string sound signal. The reason is that the string is urged against the fret nearest the pressed position on the side of the electromechanical transducer means with respect to the position where the string is pressed. In the case of picking an ordinary electrical guitar, the string plucked by the finger performs a damped oscillation. Accordingly, the amplitude of the sound signal derived from the electromechanical transducer means is attenuated with the lapse of time. Therefore, the ordinary electrical guitar provides a sound signal having a damped effect but cannot produce a sound signal having a sustain effect.
Heretofore, attempts have been made to obtain the sound signal having the sustain effect with the electrical guitar. However, no satisfactory electrical guitar has been obtained for the reasons that the electrical guitar becomes bulky, and that the sound signal obtained from the electromechanical transducer means is unstable.
In the ordinary electrical guitar, the string, when twanged, performs a damped oscillation as described above, so that a sound signal having the damping effect can be obtained. In the state in which a sound signal having the damping effect is being produced by plucking a certain string, if a sound signal also having the damping effect is obtained from another string, these two sound signals respectively having the damping effect are combined with each other to provide a composite signal.
Accordingly, in the conventional electrical guitar, in the abovesaid case, the former sound signal is always provided. Consequently it is impossible with the prior art electrical guitar to obtain a sequential monophonic signal which has the damping effect and in which the two sound signals respectively having the damping effect are sequentially arranged.
Of course, in the conventional electrical guitar, in the case where a sound signal having the sustain effect is produced from one string while a sound signal having the sustain effect is being obtained from another string, it is impossible to obtain a sequential monophonic signal which has the sustain effect and in which the two sound signals are sequentially arranged.